Police: Hate crimes against Muslims in London rising

New figures show that the number of hate crimes against Muslims has risen in UK over the past year.

According to statistics by Metropolitan Police, Muslims in London faced a 70% increase in Islamophobic attacks in one year.

A total of 816 hate crimes against Muslims have been recorded in the 12 months to July 2015. The number stood at 478 over the same period in 2013-14.

Islamophobic offences are defined by Met “as any offence which is perceived to be Islamophobic by the victim or any other person.” Anti-Muslim attacks range from cyber-bullying and assaults to extreme violence.

The greatest number of hate crimes against Muslims has been recorded in London with 54 incidents. Spokesman from Tell MAMA, a group monitoring Islamophobic attacks said the majority of victims of Islamophobic attacks are women wearing the hijab.

Police believe that the increase is in part due to victims’ willingness to report crimes and an awareness of police staff in being able to identify those particular offences.

Earlier, the UK teachers’ unions and anti-racism groups warned about the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in schools saying it would foster an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear among Muslim students. They also slammed the government for failing to tackle the issue.

Now London-based political Commentator, Rodney Shakespeare blames the western policies for tarnishing independent Islamic movements by supporting Daesh.

He went on saying that Daesh threats combined with the migrant crisis have given rise to hate crimes against Muslims in UK.

The UK is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2-point-8 million.